FIFA fire secretary general Jerome Valcke

Zurich: FIFA have fired secretary general Jerome Valcke, who is under investigation for misconduct, world football’s governing body said yesterday.

Jerome Valcke

The former right-hand man to Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president banned for eight years, has been accused of aiding a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets on the black market.

“The FIFA emergency committee decided, on 9 January 2016, to dismiss Jerome Valcke from the position of FIFA secretary general with immediate effect,” said a statement. It said all of the Frenchman’s employment with FIFA had been “terminated.”

Valcke was suspended on September 17 after the ethics committee started an inquiry into allegations that he helped sell 2014 World Cup tickets on the black market. The suspension was renewed on Jan 6. He is also linked to a $10 million payment made by South Africa to corruption-tainted former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner. US investigators claim this was a bribe to secure votes for the 2010 World Cup.

Markus Kattner is acting secretary general of a body currently fighting scandals on several fronts. US authorities have charged 39 individuals, including top FIFA executive members, and two companies over bribery in footballcontracts.